Cricket over ISL? KCA's decision to host India-Windies ODI at Kochi attracts criticism

BCCI awarded one of the five ODIs to KCA to be played in November. The ODI, which was supposed to be held at Thiruvanthapuram, considering that Kochi’s Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium is used for other sports, especially football, in all probability will now be played at Kochi after a change of plan by the KCA.

The Kerala Cricket Association’s plan for shifting the India-West Indies ODI from Thiruvanthapuram to a football-friendly Kochi  has attracted a lot of criticism, prompting country’s top footballers to launch a protest.

BCCI awarded one of the five ODIs to KCA to be played in November. The ODI, which was supposed to be held at Thiruvanthapuram, considering that Kochi’s Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium is used for other sports, especially football, in all probability will now be played at Kochi after a change of plan by the KCA.

Former Union Minister Shashi Tharoor has stated that the association's move was 'suspect'.

Tharoor, Thiruvananthapuram MP, said he has already spoken to Committee Of Administrators Chief Vinod Rai against the KCA's "bizarre" decision to transfer a ODI match from Thiruvananthapuram to Kochi, whose ground was last used for the U-17 Football World Cup.

"He has promised to review the matter. KCA's motive is highly suspect", Tharoor had tweeted.

In another tweet, the local MP thanked everyone for the outpouring of support for his firm opposition to KCA's shifting the ODI to Kochi.

"Turf laid for top-class football would have to be dug up, while a cricket-ready SportsHub stadium in Trivandrum, the best in India, lies idle. Who gains from this suspect decision?', he asked in the tweet.

The Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium is also the home ground for ISL franchise Kerala Blasters and understandably so, their players and managers have expressed their dismay at the decision, which means the ground will have to be dug up in order lay the cricket pitch.

Blasters manager Iane Hume even started an online petition to stop the ODI being held at Kochi.

"I understand there is lot of cricket in India. But I also understand that there is lot of football in Kerala".  

Another Blasters key player C K Vineeth said the Jawaharlal Stadium in Kochi is one of six in India that are approved by FIFA, a certification that will take immense effort to obtain again.

When India has been known for being a 'cricket crazy' nation, is it really necessary to dig up a football pitch to play a cricket match? #SaveKochiTurf, he tweeted.

 

Veteran footballers I M Vijayan and C V Pappachan have also come out against the move.